UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Oddsmakers say Penn State is favored to beat Appalachian State by 20-plus points when the teams meet Sept. 1 at Beaver Stadium.
History says picking the Nittany Lions to win by such a comfortable margin might not be the most prudent of wagers.
Not because Penn State has been diagnosed with any glaring flaws — the Nittany Lions are impressive enough to be ranked No. 10 in the nation in the first Associated Press poll of the season — but because the Mountaineers have a habit of making life miserable for big-name programs.
Witness 2016, when Tennessee, ranked 22nd in the nation, needed overtime to salvage a 20-13 victory against the Mountaineers in Knoxville. And the Volunteers had to wipe out a 10-point halftime deficit to stretch that game beyond the fourth quarter.
But Appalachian State earned its signature victory — and one of the most celebrated upsets in college football history — exactly 11 years before its visit to central Pennsylvania by beating Michigan, 34-32, in Ann Arbor.
Penn State players will, as always, look at a lot of game tape before facing the Mountaineers, but footage of that triumph over the Wolverines won’t be on the viewing list.
Which it not to suggest that game, and some of Appalachian State’s other noteworthy performances against high-profile opponents, won’t come up in conversations coach James Franklin has with his players over the next week or so.
“We won’t show it to them, but I will talk about it with them,” Franklin said. “This is a team that’s played really well on the road.
“I know that [Michigan game] was a long time ago and a previous [coaching] staff, but even here recently, they’ve done a good job.
“They’re very athletic. They’re a little bit undersized, but they’re a twitchy defense. They’ve gotten some real good transfers in, as well.”
Junior cornerback John Reid, who consumes game tape with the zeal of a 400-pound lineman at a buffet, said he’s heard about the Mountaineers-Wolverines game, but that a video history lesson isn’t necessary to prove that Appalachian State will pose a legitimate threat.
“I watch the film,” Reid said. “That’s the way I see how good a team is. They have a fast skills set. They have guys on the perimeter who can really run.”
Running back Miles Sanders noted that Penn State’s focus to this point of preseason camp has been on its own play, but that he’s becoming familiar with Appalachian State and its personnel.
“They’re very big up front,” he said. “Big linebackers. They have two good [cornerbacks]. They have a lot of people coming back on defense.”
Defensive line coach Sean Spencer praised Mountaineers coach Scott Satterfield and his staff — “They’re one of the best-coached teams in the country” — and noted that, unlike some teams that do not belong to a Power Five conference, Appalachian State will not be put off its game by playing before a Beaver Stadium crowd that could exceed 100,000.
“Those guys will come in here and they’ll play,” Spencer said. “We have to be ready. The lights are not too [bright] for Appalachian State to come here. We’ll have our work cut out.”
And if anyone questions that, Franklin and his staff won’t balk at bringing up Appalachian State’s performances against teams like Michigan and Tennessee.
“It should be a very good challenge for us,” Franklin said. “We want to make sure our guys respect every opponent we play. Those are stories we’ll be able to tell them to illustrate what we’re talking about.”
Dave molinari: dmolinari@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MolinariPG
First Published: August 22, 2018, 4:56 p.m.
